Picking up the Pieces
by PaigeHalliwellWilderMatthews
Summary: It's been a full year since Emma has joined Mutant X. She has grown the closets with Adam out of all the team. Will she survive if something tragic happens to him?
1. Happy Birthday Emma

_**Author's Note: This was originally posted under the pen name: Coleridge82 but than I sadly had some issues in my life and I allowed this story to die. But I'm happy to say that I got some fresh ideas and decided to repost it under my main account.**_

Emma looked at the kind faces surrounding her and smiled. She looked back at the cake in front of her that was lit with twenty two candles and closed her eyes and made an wish and than opened them again and bent and blew them all out expect for one.

"The first man Emma looks at will be her future husband." Jesse joked.

Emma didn't look up but slowly and wishfully blew out her last remaining birthday candle. _Someday I hope._ She looked up and smiled at her four friends from left to right. First was Shalimar her first and only best female friend._ We are just like sisters_. Than over at Brennan _My protector_. Than over at Jesse _My fellow confused and unsure friend when it comes to our powers._ Than over to Adam. _My father figure._ "Thank you all for this wonderful birthday. You don't know how much this means to me." She said softly.

"It was mostly Adam and Jesse who brought this about." Brennan said with an smile. "They know how to plan a birthday better than I do."

"Same with me." Shalimar shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Thank you all!" Emma said including all her family in on her heart felt thanks. "Like I said you don't know how much this means to me." She said softly but firmly looking each of them in the eyes one at an time. She didn't need to send an thoughts into their minds for them to know the truth. They could read in her eyes what they needed to know how thankful she was.

Only Adam knew the real truth about Emma's childhood. She told him one night when they were in his bedroom when she couldn't sleep. He had comforted her by holding her close to him and allowing her to pour out her heart to him. He knew this young woman better than he knew the others; even Shalimar who had been with him since the beginning of the Sanctuary and the Mutant X team.

Emma couldn't tear her eyes from Adam as easily as she could with the rest of her family. She also thought of the time in his bedroom in his arms pouring out her heart. It wasn't the last time either. _There had been many an night in the past year that I found myself going to his bedroom for his confront. Only he could confront me in the way that I had longed for my entire life. I don't know what I will do when Adam is no longer in my life._

_Don't think that far ahead Emma. I am here now and for an long time yet. Don't count your chicken before the eggs are hatched._ Adam's thoughts broke into Emma's sober ones.

Emma smiled at Adam to let him know that his cony mentor fore was just that cony. But than sadness filled her face once more as she went back into herself toning out the merriment around the table.

The three young team members noticed everything that was going on but knew that it was not their place to help Emma through whatever was going on inside her. That they should leave it to Adam who knew exactingly what she caved. They went back to eating the cake that Jesse had sliced.

_Tonight?_

_Of course darling. You are always welcomed. You know that._

_Are you sure that you aren't busy?_

_For you I have all the time in the world you know that._

_Perhaps you would like to go to sleep?_

_Would you?_

_Yes but not alone._

_You are welcome with me. Perhaps both of us will sleep tonight._

_I hope so._

_I know so._

_Thanks Adam._

_No problem Emma_. Adam smiled at Emma who was playing with her fork. "Best eat that cake now before Jesse eats it for you."

Emma smiled and brought up the fork that was filled with the piece of cake to her lips. She looked sideways at Jesse who was eying her piece of cake with hunger in his eyes. She slowly opened her mouth and slipped the fork into it and closed her lips around the fork. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sensation of the yellow cake with vanilla icing hit her taste buds.

"Well what do you think?" Jesse asked watching his friend very closely as she took her first bite of her birthday cake.

Emma kept her eyes closed as she tasted every taste that she could from the cake she knew that Jesse had made it for her and she wanted to taste every thing that he had so carefully and lovely put in the cake. She opened her eyes very slowly to find Jesse staring at her. She smiled. "It was wonderful Jesse. You are an wonderful cook."

"Thank you." Jesse grinned as he sat back in his seat and picked up his fork once again_. I'm glad Em liked my cake. I'll make her birthday cakes from now on._

**_Author's Note: I know that Emma's powers doesn't include her being able to read minds; but she and Adam have grown so close to one another that their hearts and souls are as one; so they can hear each other's souls clearly. _**


	2. What's Wrong Shalimar?

Shalimar stood to her feet and walked from the room, she was bothered. She couldn't say why she was bothered so much. She was happy that Emma and Adam have grown close together. Like a father and daughter. Just as herself and Adam had become since she first met him when she was fifteen and looking for a home. Jesse and Brennan felt the same way about Adam as she did. So why did it brother her so much that Emma and Adam were so much closer than herself and Adam? Why did she want to tear Emma limb to limb whenever she saw her and Adam together?

She sighed as she walked towards the room where she practiced her fighting skills. She had to work off some bent up emotions before she exploded. She didn't want to say anything that she would later regret. She didn't want to deal with her emotions ... not with Emma and not with Adam. She felt ashamed of how she felt. She felt like her father had chosen his other child over her. Like she wasn't good enough, gifted enough for his love any longer.

She walked up the steps and began to slowly do her yoga. It always soothed her troubled soul, she sighed as she thought of the first time that she worked with Emma on her fighting skills. Emma had non to speak of, so Shalimar decided to teach the new girl yoga. It had been relaxing and Emma had caught on very quickly and that was how the two young women bonded. But than Adam had walked into the room and she had felt excluded when Adam and Emma simply just looked at one another.

She winced suddenly as she felt a muscle twitch. She sighed deeply as she tried to control her breathing. Was was wrong with her that day?

"Shal ..." A low voice broke into her intense thoughts.

She kept her eyes closed as she felt her anger rise to the surface. It wouldn't do to show any anger here, it would just complicate things. She didn't want any complication here. Not with her family. Not over these pointless emotions.

A soft hand rested on her right shoulder. She felt her soul rip into a millions of pieces and she felt a soft tear roll down her right check. She felt a light finger brush her check. She swallowed around the lump in her thoart as she tried to fight the sobs that wanted to burst forth. She kept her eyes closed. She couldn't bare to open them and look at ...

"What's wrong, Shal?" Emma's voice whispered in her ear as she felt Emma take a seat next to her.

She tried to move away from Emma, but her body wouldn't go where her brain was screaming for it to go. She just remained where she was sitting with her eyes closed as more and more tears fell. She felt Emma wrap her arms around her and pull her into her for a tight hug. She felt her arms move on their own and wrap themselves up and over Emma's arms so she could pull the other woman even closer to her. She laid her head against Emma's as she sobbed.

She finally opened her eyes and she managed to pull away. But Emma reached up and touched her shoulder once more. "What's the matter, Shally?" She whispered.

Shalimar quickly wiped away the remaining tears as she brushed Emma's hand from her shoulder, she quickly stood to her feet. She almost feel sideways; but she managed to catch herself. She moved away from Emma, "It's nothing." She said in a guff voice.

Emma stood to her feet slowly and just stared at her friend, who was more like a sister.

"Really, Emma, it's nothing." Shalimar said again as she shrugged her shoulders and tossed her head firmly up.

"I don't believe you," Emma said softly. "I wish you would trust in me enough to tell me." She shook her head. "I wish you would allow me access to your feelings."

Shalimar felt her eyes widen. "You wouldn't dare." She said in voice of steel.

"I promised you guys that I wouldn't feel you without your permission.:" Emma said. "I keep my promises." She didn't realize that her voice had harden. That her eyes had darken.

Shalimar sighed. "I'm sorry Emma." She said in a softer voice but still with hardness laced in. She sighed deeply, "I'm just in a ticked off mood is all."

"It's more than that, you don't break down the way you did when you are ticked." Emma said taking a few steps closer to Shalimar. But she stopped in her tracks as Shalimar's body language screamed 'don't come nearer'. "Why are you pushing me away?"

Shalimar's right eye brow raised high on her forehead. But before she could open her mouth to reply Brennan and Jesse walked into the room, dressed for a work out. She walked back Emma and down the stairs and out of the room without saying one word the boys.

"What the hell is the matter with her?" Brennan asked after he had watched her leave the room and turned and stared with a non plus look on his face up at Emma.

Emma sighed, "I don't know."

Jesse had kept his eyes firmly on Emma as Shalimar had walked down the stairs and towards him and Brennan. He didn't watch Shalimar leave the room without a word to them, he was too engrossed in Emma's eyes. "Did you get a feeling off of her?" He asked softly after he walked away from Brennan and stopped in front of his friend.

"She wouldn't allow access." Emma said with a sigh. She wrapped her arms across her waist. She bit her lip, "I wish she would trust me enough to allow me completely in ..."

Jesse's right hand went to the back of his head, "Shalimar doesn't let anyone all the way in. Not even Adam." He shook his head. "None of us do." He looked at Emma with a soft sad smile, "Expect for you of course."

Brennan walked up to his two friends and looked back at the door way. "Think I should go find out what's troubling her?"

"Brennan, Shal just wants to be left alone right now is all." Emma said with a shake of her head.

Brennan turned and looked Emma in the eyes. "So what's her read?" He asked in a knowing voice.

"She wouldn't let me have access, so I didn't get a reading off of her." Emma sighed as she herself looked at the now empty door. "I wish she would trust me." She whispered.

"We all know that something is bugging her, I think that it would do her a world of good if you did just do a quick jaunt in her emotional bank." Brennan said with a slight frown on his mouth, he walked to the center of the platform and began to stretch over his head. "If I had your powers, Emma," he sighed.

He had stopped talking because he saw Emma's glare at him. He thought it would be best _not_ to go into the whole abusing your powers issue that Emma had. Well he shared her views, now. But when he first learned how to control his powers all he wanted was whatever he could grab. That's what got him in trouble with the law in the first place. But ever since meet Adam and the team, he had softened and actually allowed his little boy to come out and run his life once more. Sides today was Emma's birthday and he didn't want to destroy what ever happiness she had found. Shalimar successfully did the job herself.

"Thanks for the birthday cake, Jesse." Emma said placing a gentle hand on Jesse's right for arm. "I had never had a birthday cake in my life."

Brennan stopped dead in his stretching moves as he simply stared wide eyed at the woman to the right of him. So that's why this birthday meant so much for her. He didn't even buy her a gift. Oh God he blew it big time. At least Jesse had baked her a cake.

"It was my pleasure, I'm happy that you liked it so much." Jesse said as pleasure coarse d through his body once more.

Emma moved away and walked down the steps and from the room she had work to do and she didn't want to disappoint Adam. Even though he had told her earlier that she could take the day off – seeing how it was her birthday – she still felt like she owed it him and the team to keep a sharp eye out for any mutants who desperately needed saving.

**End Part Two**


	3. Private moments

He had been staring intently at the scene in front of him. Just ready and waiting to catch a sign, any sign on an new mutant. Once he saw the note that Eckhart was after them than he would send to of his team mates out to go and save the mutant and take him or her to a safe place. Where they would stay until a more permanent housing could be provided.

So although he heard soft foot steps behind him and he felt wind hit his neck as the person passed close by him – he didn't turn his eyes off of the scene. His body was tense in the fashion where it knew that someone out there needed his help, just he had to wait till he could find them.

She simply stood leaning against the table with her arms wrapped across her chest and simply stood watching him. She loved how much he cared for all the innocent mutants out in the world. She knew that part of it was out of guilt. He had worked for Genomex as a geneticist – until he learned that his experiments had created hundreds of New Mutants. He quite Genomex and built the Sanctuary to help protect his team, Mutant X. He could actually be the smartest man alive.

She stood in the darkness of the hallway and looked into the room where they were standing. Not talking or looking at each one another – but still that the other were there. Her heart dropped fuller as she took in once more how close the two were. That all they truly needed was one and another to be happy in this life. That they could be thousands of miles away from one another; but they would always be with one another. She slowly turned around and head back down the white sterile hall towards her bedroom. Her foot steps making the lightest of all sounds as she moved.

_I messed up._

_How so?_

_With Shalimar in the practice room. She was ready to break so I walked up to her and just put my hand on her shoulder. She broke down; but than she got defensive when I tried to ask why she was upset?_

_Shalimar still isn't ready to be completely vulnerable to another human being. She trusts you very much, but she isn't ready to lose that last bit of control and dignity that she holds tightly too. _

_It's not healthy for her to continue along these lines._

_You should talk._

_I had to remain strong within, I had to protect myself. It was a survival need for myself._

_I'm not criticizing you, I was just pointing out ..._

_I'm the one who has gone through what she is going through now. I would be the best person for her to come too because I have been through it._

_She will._

_No I destroyed whatever chance I had._

_You didn't._

Her head lowered, she couldn't continue to watch him. She closed the path way to her soul and she slowly turned around and started to work. Her eyes were clued to the beaker in front of her as her hands held steady the vile and she began to slowly pour in the boiling liquid. She breathed easier when she slowly lowered the vile and put a cork in it and placed it in the proper place.

"Emma," His voice broke the silence.

She sighed as she put her hands on the cool metal and twisted her head so she was looking over her shoulders. At him. Him with the worried frown on his forehead. "Found another mutant?" She asked in a steady voice.

Adam shook his head. He walked over and stood next to her and placed his right hand over hers which was still on the cool metal and intertwined their fingers. You couldn't tell which fingers were which.

She sighed and blew hair out of her eyes. "Today was going so perfect, it was my twenty second birthday. I finally had a family to share it with. I even had a cake baked especially for me. My first ever well birthday party. It was perfect." She sighed around the heart ache that she was feeling.

"Than I got that read off of Shalimar. I knew that she was hurting, so I went too her to offer my comfort and my soul for her use." She felt a lump in her thoart. She took a shallow swallow, "I thought she was finally ready to unload her heavy burden when she feel apart in my arms. But she got defensive and closed herself off from me. I got up and instead of telling her that I understood – I continued to press her to unload. I just made things worse." She felt tears roll down her checks and she looked down as a tear drop landed in between their fingers.

Adam silently reached over with his free hand and gently to wipe away the tears. First the right eye than the left. He twisted his body so that he was facing Emma face on. He kept his hand on her check, slowly gliding his thumb to and forth – he took his hand out of hers and wrapped them around her back. He than guided her into a tight but gentle hug. He felt her head lean gently against his check and her breathing quicken in her silent breakdown.

This wouldn't have happened a little over a year ago, not when she first came to the Sanctuary and learned what he did to cause her life to never be normal. To cause her life to be a living hell. It had taken a long time to earn the trust. Due to working side by side in the lab as he sent the rest of the team out in the streets. He had told her that she wasn't strong enough to be out in the field using her strength. But he knew that once she learned how to fight, than she would be out in the field. But he needed her to help him in the lab and to search for new mutants.

But the main reason why he wanted her behind and working with him, was because he just knew that given time and constant connect with him – and mostly just with him than she would finally learn to trust him. Also perhaps even forgive. But he rightly knew that there was no way he could ever be forgiven for his actions. He had played God and he had messed up big time. He would spend the rest of his life trying to protect as many mutants, truly his children, as he could.

He remembered the first time she allowed him to hold him close. She had come to his room late one night, looking as scared as any child that he ever saw and asked softly if she could stay with him because she didn't want the monsters to get her. He of course said yes and offered her the bed and he would have slept on the floor. She said that she didn't want to be in the bed alone, that she needed human contact to feel safe once more. So he got in the bed and she crawled in and rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his bare stomach. She had just silently laid there until he felt her even breathing and knew that she had fallen asleep. He had been staring at her eyelids as they began to close and as soon as he saw the slightest of all flickers of her eyelids, even heart beat and the even breathing he knew that the monsters wouldn't brother her any more. He had finally fallen asleep himself.

He had awoken the following morning with her still in his arms and her open brown eyes just staring into his. He knew that she trusted him and had accepted his short comings. He just simply tighten his hold and closed his eyes once more and felt as she leaned up and kissed the bottom of his chin.

It had grown from there. Till he didn't know if he could bare to be separated from her ever again.

She pulled away, "I'm sorry to have ruined yet another of your favorite shirts, Adam." She tried to use humor but she still felt a horrible pain in her chest.

Adam let his arms drop from her, but lifted them up to cup her face in them. He looked deep into her eyes. "I promise Emma, that Shalimar will eventually be ready to be open to another human being. I have a direct feeling that you are going to be that human. Give it time." He softy said and lowered his head and his lips were just a hair breath away from hers when suddenly a loud beeping noise lit up the air.

He pulled quickly back and turned and stared up at the scene. He pushed his ring, "Jesse, Brennan and Shalimar our mutant is about to be lost. Get going." He could hear running in the hallway and knew that the three would drive like hell to get to the mutant in time.

Emma lowered her hand and silently intertwined their fingers once again, as they waited for more and more information to show up. Especially will the new mutant could be located.

**End Chapter Three**


	4. The Fight

Shalimar rushed towards the garage and managed to bet the boys by a mere inch. She pushed the key pad and the door switched opened and she stormed to the drivers' seat and got in. She jerked the belt over her chest and jammed the key in the engine.

"Shalimar, I don't think you should drive." Brennan said as he put a strong and firm hand on her shaking one. "We need to get to the mutant in one piece, and with your temper ..."

Shalimar turned her face and snarled at him; using her feline powers to make her point and anger across. Brennan sighed deeply in his thoart and pulled his hand away and just stared out the front window. He held on tight and he heard Jesse's grunt in the back seat as Shalimar jerked the car out of the garage and screeched down the driveway.

"Looks like I am going have to repave that." Brennan sighed under his breath.

Jesse jerked forward and than back. "Shit Shalimar, slow the hell down why don't you. I don't know if I can use my power to save us with this reckless driving."

Shalimar instead just sped up and twisted the wheel around a sharp corner, she finally slowed down as she felt Brennan crash in her side and Jesse crashing in the back of her seat. She almost lost control of the wheel. She braked and stared out the front window. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Get out." Brennan hissed. He jerked his door opened as soon as he straighten out. He left the door open and stormed around the car and jerked the drives side of the car open. "I said G-E-T O-U-T." When she didn't move he reached in and grabbed her arm and forced her out of the car. He forced marched her around the back of the car and made sure that she got into the seat and he buckled her seat belt around her. He slammed the door shut and rushed back around the car and slid into the seat. After he buckled his seatbelt he continued to drive ... fast but not dangerous.

"Ok team, the Mutant is at the abandon where house off of route I90." Adam's calm voice said.

"Got it." Brennan said turning towards the where house. "How long do we have, Adam?"

"Ten minutes." Adam said.

"Got it." Brennan said as he pressed his foot down till the peddle was on the floor and he drove towards the where house. "We'll be there in eight minutes."

"Why do I sense tension?" Emma asked in a worried voice.

"Uh just Shalimar was over anxious to kick some Gemonix ass that she almost drove us into a cliff." Jesse said trying to laugh it off.

"Shal." Emma said.

Shalimar remained silent as she stared out the front window.

"Five minutes till bulls eyes." Brennan said.

"Shal." Emma repeated. Still silence.

"All right lets kick some ass." Brennan said as he jerked to a stop. He wasn't surprised that Shalimar jerked her car door opened and rushed towards the where house. "You know the plan, Jesse."

Jesse nodded and opened the back door and got out and rushed after Shalimar when Brennan quickly over took him. He smiled a thin line, the Gemonix assholes don't know what was going to hit them. Not only Brennan and him but one seriously pissed of Shalimar Fox. He actually almost felt sorry for the hit men. But not too much.

Shalimar flew over every piece of shit that got in her way; she finally heard the hopelessness in the mutant's voice as he tried desperately to fight alone. She twisted around a pillar and she was quickly standing behind one of the bad asses who thought they were going to take the innocent mutant off to Gemonix to be "tested". She was actually going to enjoy this ass kicking.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to always be aware on what's going on behind your back." She said in a sugar sweet voice.

The tall bald bulky man spun around and suddenly he had an evil light in his eyes, "Aw Shalimar Fox it's a pleasure seeing you again." He quickly rushed her and tried to grab her leg just as she jumped over him. She landed nicely on her feet. "Boris you old sleaze bag, I thought Eckart had finally disposed of you since we last met." She rushed at him and managed to knock him flat on his back with just a swing kick to the gut.

Brennan had arrived at the scene by now and was busy fighting off two guys who had managed to knock the mutant down and bloody his face. He quickly boxed one of the bad asses into the corner and keep the second one at bay with his head and his feet. Once the Hench man was trying to catch his breath, Brennan turned around and began to beat the shit out of the second bad ass hit man. He smiled as he was beginning to feel the sweat break out. "God, I'm having the best workout. How about you?" He didn't allow the hit man to speak as his right fist shot right into his mouth and broke ten teeth.

Jesse arrived just than and noticed that a hit man was slowly coming up on an unaware Shalimar. "Shal!" He shouted but it was too late the hit man managed to throw a lucky punch at her back and she pitched forward to the floor. Jesse managed to hear the crack of her skull just as he felt himself heating up ... he quickly rushed towards the hit man whom had made Shalimar fall and quickly burnt him to a crisp. He left the man screaming and turned quickly around and shot his hands out and allowed the fire to hit the other three hit man. Only two hit man remained alive. The one that Brennan broke the teeth and the man that Brennan had beaten where he had to sit on the floor to get his breathing under control.

"Get the mutant out of here. I'll protect Shalimar." Jesse breathed deeply.

Brennan rushed to the fallen mutant and quickly picked him up and rushed away from the scene.

Jesse looked the living hit men in the eyes as they stood to their feet ready to fight some more. "If you even think of taking one step closer, than you will meet the fate of your three friends." He breathed as he felt himself heat up even more than before.

The two hit man looked at Jesse than at one another than turned and fled. "Adam, Shalimar is down." Jesse said as he quickly got his body temperance back to normal.

"We'll here." Adam said as he quickly knelt down to the fallen Mutant X team member.

Jesse turned around quickly and looked down at his fallen team mate. What he saw took the breath right out of his lungs. "Oh God, Shal." He said as he felt tears well up and fall onto his checks.

Shalimar Fox looked like the devil got a hold of her and decided to have some fun with her. A small ever growing pool of blood was flowing down her side. Her forehead was ripped open from side to side. Her one visible eye was puffy and bright purple. Her right side of her face as all puffy and bright purple as her eye. Her color was pale – as if all the blood had been drained away.

"Adam," Jesse chocked out.

"It's going to be all right, Jesse, she'll be all right." Adam said in a firm voice as he quickly turned her over onto her back. "Emma, we'll need to stitch her up here, I can't risk waiting till we are back at the Sanctuary."

Emma had gotten on Shalimar's other side and quickly had set up the medical tools that Adam would require. She quickly prepared the area around Shalimar's head and started to handle the tools that Adam asked for in a tight voice. Adam was soon cutting the final code to the final stitch. "Ok Jesse, I want you to take her feet, I'll take her head. Emma I want you to put the stethoscope and listen as we get to the hover bird."

The two mutants quickly followed their leaders and their father figure orders and they soon had Shalimar lying buckled in on the bed. Jesse got in the drivers side and they were soon heading back towards the mountain where the Sanctuary was craved in to. Both Adam and Emma were by Shalimar's side checking her stats.

Jesse stopped the hover bird and he quickly helped Adam carry Shalimar into the lab. Brennan had been pacing back and forth but stopped dead in his tracks as he took in Shalimar. "Shit." He breathed as he felt his heart stop.

"Boys, out." Adam said in a stern voice as he rushed to his scanner.

The boys took one last look at their fallen teammate and left the lab leaving Adam and Emma to their work.

**END CHAPTER FOUR**

**Author's Note: In a way I have to thank two bad ass customers and my night manger for this chapter. I don't think I could have written this fight scene in under twenty minutes and with such anger other wise. It has turned out better than I originally wanted it too.**


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